The Sun. — London, England, 1818-06-01 00:00:00

PAR LTA MENT. TIOITS'E OF LORDsTSATuRDAY, AI Ay 30. 'Die Royal Assent was giver' hv Commission to the Doke of Kent's Annoity Bill, the Saving P,anks' Amendment Bill, the Scotch Distillery Bill, the W:olctorn' , Wages Bill, and several Private Finis, in :tll eleven. The Commissioners were the Lord Cliincellor, tLe Earl of Shaftes butv and Lord Melvile The ,Marciagus fill and the Negociable Scruritivs Bill %very read a second time. 'rhe Lottery Rill, the Corntnissioners of the National Debt MU, and the Navy Prize Regul:►- tion Bill, were committed, and the reports re- ctived. Mr BROGDPN and others brought from the Commons the Chelsea and KilmainhAni Pensions' Rel.:tilalon Bill, the Irish Tre.asory Bill, the Irish Malt Doty Bill. the Soldiers' Fr B 11, the Anc , ion I)Oties Bill, the Rock Sal , Dory Bill, the Passen.ets' Regulation Bill, ,the Deceased Offi cers' Effects Bin, and several Private Bills, all cf which were read a first time.—Adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS The follnwinv Bills were read a third time and passed :—The East India Shipping, the Irish Commercial Exchequer Bills, the Greenwich Prize Money, the Passengers' Vessels, the Rock Salt Duties Diminution, the Soldiers' Pensions, the Exchequer Bills, the Irish Treasury, the De ceas,d Officers' Effects, the Brecknock Forest, the Parochial Benefit Societies, and several Pri vate Bills. The Irish Fisheries' Bill went through a Com nriitee, as did the Salaries to Commissioners of liar kruh s' Bill.—Reports on Monday. The Slave Trade Acts Amendment Bill, and the Friendly Societies' Bill, were read a second time. Committees on Monday. On the motion of Mr. PEEL, leave was Oven to bring in a Bill to provide for the better Admi nktration of Justice in the Court of Chancery in Leland. - On the motion of Mr. S. HouRNE, the Lords' Amendments to the Parish Vestries' Bill were taken into consideration, and agree►f to. BANKRUPT LAWS. On the motion of Mr. J. SmITH, the House went,into a Committee on the Bankrupt Acts, when the lion. Member moved a resolution for granting to the Com Missioners of Bankrupts a salary out of the Consolidated Fund, Ow room of their receiving fees. The Hon. Member fur ther stated, in answer to a question put to him by Mr. \VROTTeSLFY, that the object of the Bill he proposed 10 found oft this - resolution would be to give tip the Commissioners a certain sum out of th e Connlidated Fund, whilst the fees at present paid to thcm should in future be paid into the Consolidated Fond.—The Resolution was agreed to, and the Report ordered to be received on Monday. WESTNWRELAND ELECTION'. Mr. LI.!HINGTON presenled a copy of a Cor respondence between the Tax Office and the As ses.nr of Tax in 'Westmoreland. Mr. Baouc uAti4 wished to call the attention of the House to this correspondence, particnlarly to the letter of a Mr. Johnson, to the Commis sioners of 'Faxes, in which he describes himself as 'wing the Secretary to the Committee for ma . - the Electicm of the present Menthe's for Wiistmoreland. He goes on to ask for certain returns of Land Tax, in which return Mr. John son tells the Commissioners of Taxes that Lord Tnanet's property need not be included. Now this was the letter of an electioneering agent to the Cunqiiisioners of Taxes, a person who never might to have been allowed to approach the Tax Office ; - yet to this letter, Mr. Winter, the Secre tary to the Board of Taxes, the next (lay returned hint a most courteous answer, recognizing him in his character of Secretary to the Couonittee for managing the election of the present Members, and informing hint that the ;cum's for which he asked wo.ild he fornished to him by the assessors of the several districts. It, however, arty should be wanting there, the Tax Office would furnish (Item. The Pon. Member observed, this was a most flagrant breach Of the privileges of the House, and if notice was not taken of - it by,the proper eptarter. be woold himself move to bring the parties implicated to the bar of the House. No answer being given to the ob3ervations of the Honourable Metnher, Mr. TIERNEY could not avoid expressing his snrpfise that the Chancellor of the Exchequer should sit si'ent, and hear such a statement, with out saying a single word in explanation. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, the whole of this correspondence was new to him, and Ice ‘wished to have time to make inquiry he orehegave any opinion upon it. Mr. TtFr.mEY was dad to hear the reason as signed by tt;e Right He Gentleman. He trusted the subject would receive the consideration which its importance demanded, and that on Monday it would Fig.,in be brought under the consideration of the flouse. Mr. Bit+►UGt4AM trusted that Monday!would not he allowed to pass over without- the Right lion. Gentletnan's again mentioning the subject.• It did, indeed, appear• to him that there was a system of electioneering policy established in favour of the present Members for Westmoreland, and that the Commissioneis of Taxes were parties to it. If such a proceeding as this were to be tolerated, Parliament might es well be dissolved at once. This was one of the grossest attacks upon the her. ies of the people r►nd freedom of election which he had-ever witnessed, and l►e trusted the House would not pass it over 'without sliming its sense of it by calling its authors to the bar : and, how e►er po ,, erftil might be the support by which they were hacked, show - that-the House of Commons had still energy to "resent-so gross an invasion of their privileges,bypunishing its authors with that severity whirl' they deserted.—The papers were then ordered to be printed.—Mr. Broug:ha►n then observed ) _ that the letter• to which he had on a t truer night alluded, namely, that of a Mr. Thoinp; , oo;,liad turned out to he areal document, and t.ot a fabrication, as some Gentlemen hadde clared it to be if; their opinion. fp.rd LonfTnFa declared himself ignorant of th,e o vliole transaction. Mr. BROUUHAM gave notice of bis intention, can Tuesday, to brink fortv:lra a ttiotion on the subject of the abuse in the application of Chari !able Donations EDUCATION OF THE l'ooll.- Mr. BhouGHAm said,, that he had on Thnrsday given notice, that he would next Thursday bring forward a proposition rod itive to Charitable Do tiation3. He gave that notice under an impres sion that his Hon. Friend (Sii• F. BUrdett), whose motion on Ntliarnentary Reform stood for that day, would give ! - dace to his (Mr, Brougham's) Understanding, however, ,that the Hon. Baronet bad cbtinged his opinion, he ‘lould give his no tice for ‘Vednesby, in the event of not being al lowed to introduce it sooner. DITTY ON COALS. The LORD MAYOR presented a Petition from th: Merchants and Traders. of the City of London, praying that the tiouse, at some future time, might take into theiz consideration t'►e Ditties imposed upon Coals imported into' the Port of Lon,lon, with a iew either to the equalization of he ies, or tlie adoption of some measure which might tend to alleviate the pressure under which the inhabitants of the metropolis laboured in con sequence of those duties. 'll,e question being put for bringing tip the Petition, Mr. i\l A. TAYLOR said, that if any measure, such as that contemplated by the Petition, wete pro posed, he ~Itottld feel it his duty to oppose it. The subject was before the consideration of the first Statesmen, and Mr. Pitt opposed a propoli iioo fin• the removal of the Coal Duties in the Port of London. The LORD MAYon said, that the Petitioners prayed only for equalization of the-lloties• Mr. LYTTLeTON thou ; ;ht no measure could be more unwise than to equalize the duty upon coals, or to extend it ro those large toanufacturng dis tricts in which great quantities of coals were con sinned. If a measure of this kind was brought forward in :his Session or Patliament, he should feel it his duty to oppose it. Mr. DUGUALB comld not think !hat the City of London was serious in the prayer of this Petition. He should feel himself exiled upon to oppose it whenever it was brought before the House. General THORNTON said, that considering the Counties which the two Hon. Members who spoke last represented, he was not surprised at their opposition. This Tax 'was very severe upon the metropolis. It was continued long atter the cause which gave rise to it had ceased to exist. It was hard that no Tax should be imposed, upon Coals where they were cheap, and a heavy one imposed in London, where the price was always comparatively high. He hoped that something would be done in the next Session of Parliament to relieve the metropolis from this duty. bir M. IV. RIDLEY thArght the prayer of the Petition, it'aerptiesced in, would do serious injury to the Coal Trade. The real owners would be glad to have a Committee appointed to inquire into the sqhject, for they could then prove that their conduct was fair, and that the high price of Coals in London did not depend upon them. It Oliginated with persons in Loudon ; and perhaps the Hon. Gentleman (the Lord Mayor) would give them, ,if be pleased, informatinu upon that subject. CtIARLES POLE said he had no doubt but the tax, upon inquiry, would be found most, op pressive and unjust.—The petition was read, and ordered ffi be printed. Mr. But-LEN presented a petition from the Cor poration of Exeter, praying for a repeal of the duties upon coal carried coast-wise. The Lords' Amendments to the Pkaish Vestries' Bill were agreed to. ____ CONVICTS. On the motion of Mr. BENNET, a return was ordered to be laid upon the table of all persons transported for seven years to New South Wales, from February 1816, to February ISIS, distin guishing sex and classes according to age. - The Slave Trade Laws' Attien(llllcm Bill was read a second time. The Bill was committed, the Itepo::,t brought up, and the Bill ordered to be read a third time on Monday. The Irish Dissenting Clergymen's Howes' Bill was withdrawn by Mr. PAID ELL, on the sugges tion of Mr. l'EgL. FINES FOR ILLICIT DISTILLATION. General 1-IAuT rose to Move for leave to bring in a Bill to repeal the 54th of the King ; and all former Acts, atithoriing the imposition of fines upon tov:n lands, and other districts in Ireland, for illicit distillation. Ile was induced to bring this subject before the House at the earnest re quest of the Grand Jury of the County of Don neir,4i, who had declared, that the system of jut posing fines on town lands, as a punishment for illicit distillation, was most oppressive, striking at the root of their prosperity, and inefficient to the prevention of the crime against which it was di rected. Ile ma-intained that the confiscation of the implements of property of the offender was more just, and inure likely to put a stop to the illicit trade, than temporary fines upon districts, by which the innocent were generally the greatest sufferers. Sir G. HILL considered that the subject was of too much importance to he 'alien up at so late a period of_ th!... Session,, and to go into the dis cussion now could have no other effect than to unsettle and agitate the county of Donnegal, in a manner which might lead to dangerous conse quences in the midst of those prejudices and passions which were likely to be let loose at the approaching General Election. lie then pro ceeded to notice the investigation: which had been made by the Committees of that House into the Excise Laws of Ireland, and defended the present system as necessary, from the circumstances of that country. Lord Comp Tow, as an English Member of Par liament, could ❑ot be supposed to understand this question, and he thought it impossible that such an examination could be made before the proroga tion as would justify hint, and those circumstanc ed like himself, in voting either way upon the question ; he therefore trusted the gallant Gene ral would withdraw his motion. . . Mr. CHICH ESTER shortly supported the motion. Mr. PEEL hoped the House would protioUnce an opinion upon the question, which would show the country at large in What liTht ityiewed a Proceed ; , ing which was brought on at tlpe t;.vc v i a proroga tion, and supported by the grossest misrepteseo tation. If the gallant General was to carry this motion, he would have to repeal 'mime'. than 29 Acts of. Parliament, which he thought a suffi cient argument against him, in the circumstances •of the House. But he should have been glad if the motion had been brOught on sooner in the session, that he might have unposed it on prin•• ciple, instead of on the ground that it could not now undergo the discussion necessary to its de %.elopement. He then adverted to a pamphlet •which had been published, containing state roetits, which, it trite, ought to bring condign pu nishment, not (oily on the Commissionets, butt Am the whole executive of Ireland. Some of these rattiCIIICIOS, as he showed to the House, were tin true, and it was impos , ,ible that accounts of this kind could be received with any degree of confi dence. He remarked that the county of hog-• negal was the only one which had petitioned against the imposition of fines on Town Lands ; the rest of Ireland had submitted to the system, which had been attended with all the anticipated success. Illicit distillation had been very much reduced, and the revenue upon legal spirits had in some places ri s en to six times its former amount. The fines imposed in the last year for Doti negal were more numerous than in all Ire land beside : and it was indispensable to the pro tection of the revenue, and the m o rals of the people, that the system should be persevered —lt was well known, that among the people a great antipathy existed against excise-officers ; and one man had absolutely imported a number of r o an traps, avowedly for the purpose of catch log excisemen, if they came on his grounds to search for illicit spirits. Even the gallant Gene ral himself seemed to join in the general hostility to Parliament whiskey, as ae legal spirit was_cal led, by hint, in conimon with others ; for, on be ing asked, when examined before the Committee, whether the Irish people preferred it to illicit spirits, he replied, no : and to another question he answered, that he should not give his bay mlkers Parliament witiskey if he could get any other. The Hon. Member concluded with oh serting, that they were bond to continue the system, from the eminently good effects it had already piodttced. Sir NtcuoLas COLT/MIST, Mr. V. FITZ GERALD, and Mr. Sup.w,-of Dublin, opposed the motion.—Mr. PARNELL and 'Mr. KNox supported it.—The question was then put, and the motion negatived without a ,ivision. MR. CUNDY'S PETITION. Mr. WARRE, in the absence of his Honour. able Friend (Sir F. Burdett), cave noti.:.e, that the Honourable Baronet would, on Wednesday next, bring forward a proposition rela:ive to thel'eti:ion of Mr. Cundv. of the Pantheon. Th\XI.RUPf LAWS. Mr. WROTTESLEY obtained leave to bring in a Bill to repeal so touch of the Bankrupt Laws as required of Creditors within the City of London au:l bills of mortality to meet at Guildhall.—The Bill was read a first time, and ordere3 to be read a second time on Monday. The Report of the Irish County Infirmaries' Bill was brought up, some amendments were agreed to, and the Report ordered to be taken in to lot ther consideration on Monday se'nnight.--= Adjourned. THE OPERA-1101P,E. MEETING of SUBSCRILigIT to the OPERA-HOUSE. A Meeting of Noblemen and Gentlemen was on Saturday convened by advertisement, at the 'Thatched-house Tavern, St. Ja.nes's- Street, to take into consideration the state and management of the conccrn of the Opera-house. Soon after tw o o'clock, the Earl of A YLR'BU Rl' was unani mously called to the Chair. He stated the man ner in which the Meeting of the Proprietors and Subscribers had been called together, and pro posed to read some facts that bad come to his knowledge,.atter which be should propose a Ile 'solution for the adoption of the present Meeting. lle proceeded to state, that a certain letter had been written by Itlr.lVatets, the present Proprie tor and Manager of the Opera-house, addressed to the Subscribers, requiring thern to pay him 371. 10s. in addition to the 2621. 10s. they paid for a box for the former season (making the sob. scription 3001. for the present season), alleging as a pretence for his making that claim upon them, that the establishment had been increased, had been materially improved, and it was his object still further to merit the encouragement of the Stibscribers; but so far from his haring redeemed • that pledge, the number of performers had been considerably lessened this season. The salaries of the musicians had been greatly reduced, in con sequence of which,. several 'of the most eminent Performers had quitted the Orchestra; and there was another circumstance, said his Lordship, equally deserVing of notice. There was at present tin Composer attached to the Orchestra--no Com , poser of music was at present engaged. With re gard to the Italian Singers, they were reduced to tour of the male singers, and there was not one single Italian female singer belonging to the corn , pany. From this it was obvious there could* be no performance of serious Operas. In fact they could not be given at all, and this was in a man ner a saving to the Proprietor, the expence of a serious Opera being considerably more than that of a comic one. Mr. Waters, the Manager, might have engaged Madame Camporese, hut be had neglected so to do. In various other respects he had acted in a way which neither kept pace with his own assurances nor the liberality of the Subscribers.—With respect to the Bullet, it was too contemptible for an unlicensed Theatre—it was a disgrace to a Theatre-royal. The • Diver tisement had been laid aside, and that alteration produced a ..very tedious suspension of all per formance for above half an hour, the company being frequently compelled to wait for a much longer period without any thing to amuse them, till the Manager thought fit to draw tip the cur tain. Dancers whom Mr. Waters had engaged for the Ballet, were inferior Performers taken from the Minor Theatres of Paris', instead of the Aca demy Royal, front whence they ought to have been selected. Five principal Dancers had been announced by Mr. Waters to the Subscribers, ai having been previously engaged by him ; but they had nut yet wade their appearance, nor was it ljkely they would ; nor had any others been en gaged in theii. stead. The ballet Master of the principal Parisian limn! e bad tnn desirous of an - engagement with Mr. Waters en libe'ral seasou, but that prudent Manager had decliocie:, V for no other reason than because he wish ed save expence. The Figure Dancers were e' !. indifferent with the est of the cgablisluneat The Ballets were not got up with that libera l e that ought to distinguish them, considering the splendotir, in point of exrence, Tie N° l , were supported' by the British public. Lord said, that in 1811, t 1 aat. tae Aonour to li e f long to a Committee to examine the accoun ts r e the King's Theatre, and having had a ccess t° t if books of Mr. Taylor, he had . furnished him se I with some notes of their contents. Jr alqi elire :l that Madame Catalani had a salary of 2100 1 0 B i n. that the other Performers in that particular part went bad salaries equally liberal in proP", t ;, ° ,4 to their respective talents. The sum paid at with which M, time for the Singers was 98351. The sum ,•; ', o f for the salaries of the dancers, who were a" first-rate talents, increased the actual. exP eil w tore of the concern to 16,7801. a sum nearly the amount of what was paid by Mr. Wate""id i e Lou dship said, he had apprised Mr. Waters °" . e Meeting, and had expected that be would l'a's ltattended it, for the purpose of entering into !ti explanations of his conduct, which he colli` but anticipate would be required. Mr. I.ad written to him, requestin an inter cle- ., This he had declined. His Lord ship was of e P : nion, Resolution's should be entered into, "P i r ,: p ; sive of the opinion of the subscribers at th e of conduct pmsned by Mr. Waters. rifr Lord LoWTH E a said, he rose to say a feW (i t tg in extenut ion of the conduct of Mr. Waters. o e. stated the extreme difficulty there 'Was of ri ij a ing performers in Paris fur the English I " ‘ j r , Opera. He happened to be at Paris w hen d a d Waters was endeavouring to engage dancer s ': he knew that there was but.one. and he a sec- : ' ; tt rate dancer, who would listen to Mr. Wate rs , • any terars. That one had entered into an eng'i'ret went, but, afterwards repenting, ref,ised t oc4 t ot it into effect. His Lordship said, he low w . irir an eminent dancer had refused to engage f or Mr. Mr. Waters at a less rate than 30,000 (Pi n° i r f r two months. He had been disappointed of el l ' ev e ing Madame Camporese, and had in conse c e dd r applied to some other singers of celebrity t° of ply her place. Two principal women (Ll' ooll ll lo the French Opera had eroposals made r° by Mr. Waters, and he offered them 50 01 ' e fig‘ for two months; but they refused, sayjog r i i - hir msu would not ply their expenses. His L ar ,"e - 0 assured the Meeting, that Mr. Waters bad 9 ;bell t he greatest readiness in endeavouring to stre n f - „ e ro the singing department. The affairs of tbe'roe House baring been so long under Court of Chancery—a Court tardy in its c ' r t er' tiow—iniglit have discouraged persons fron t ing into eegagements with the Manager Of. p p' r cern so s 'tared. Upon the whole, he sliver, said his Lordship, for the earnest ende'' e r• of Mr. Waters to procure the best possib le jelf • formers of all descriptions, He was Pe i ; er yl convinced he had made very handsome and "- offers. Sa til i Lord ABOYNE observed, that what tb t) , scribers thought they had reason to ComP lii— the was, that Mr. Waters had never procu re r! to ol performers, his engagement with whom !' e r i b' • made the basis of his application-to the SOll5llO ers for an additional sum for their boxes."'" was what they complained of. fro ° Mr. FREF:MANTLE said, it struck pity' V 0 00 , what Lord Lowther had said, that it IVOti unnecessary to enter into the details of th e , i c e to duct of Mr. Waters. The hest way would % t oe appoint a Committee, who should couoll"Wi to with Mr. Waters upon the subject. it se e , H)C ri ( ar t him there bad been gross misfmnduct on 111 , e ,i' o lkt of Mr. Waters. if Mr. Waters, as the , I g a tP Lord had stated, knew the di ffi culties he " le r content! with, and that he could not eog 3 g e t ' i lif formers at any price whatever, l ie mig ht no ll ' a vo. pretending he had actually eagaged them , f i fi cr ir inducc:l the Proprietors to advaoce.their sut, )s ,l lion in the way he had done. He couch o ' e ifil e moving the following Resolution :--" b t a- re f present Meeting are of opinion, that the 6: tr oO ° the Opera Establishment is unworthy ( be pa i age it has received"—(Hear !)—This il e9 `;,%lY' ; was put from the Chair, and carried o nanin 3 ", c e Lord SEFTON observed, that, in co usetr e l i dtb e the adoption of this Re so lution, h e apprebe l . )( coa l° next step to be taken would be to appoint 0 tlttl , • mittee- to communicate with Mr. Water s ° I ., or state of the establishment, and to give hinl ° 00 4 portunity of explaining why it was in s nehill sob ic as to be unworthy of their patronage.. Lord, in conclusion, moved—" That t'',.,„ e ste l : mittee of Proprietors and Subscribers be re ' bje c. to communicate with Mr. Water.; on (be ' s° tl; e of the establishment." t hat It Was suggested as• an Amendment , - i s r„ter s ' Committee should communicate with M r. "orV ( , (1 " and 'other persons," as it might be ne ce A s n - '' examine others upon the subject. This in l ment was adopted. eth t The lion. DOUGL A S .K INNAIR D sObtn"l Free. consequence of what had fallen from mantle on the subject of proprietors c ec er s t e ; that the propt ietors had no intetest , td °- prate . I.orrt the subscribers. He wisno e- understood distinctly---(Hear, hear l) onc e : Lord LOWTHER said, that some a"`,, ought to be made for Mr. Waters, Wil e " ; t ier° recollected that he had so recently been ° l os (I t by the Court of Ch a ncery t o p a y into the ft ' o ( f th e that Court so large a s u m, in coosequ ne , e „, ~ suit which had been commenced agaios t Sir W. W. WYNNE said, it ovos an oi rr d nary argument that because Mr. Watets " be call.' chased the Opera, the frequenters were to ed upon to pay for it. It.et - k g' Some little discusr-ion took place as t ° tto' old i t • the dal on which the next meeting 5,10 - vt* (14 • place should be Friday or Saturday. " 11 finally agreed to. Win °te A Committee of thirteen was then 11° among_whom were— The Fall of Ailesbury, Lord Harriwieite,LoW3efTri't ovi i t Scarborough, Lord Vcruiam, Lord Abovnef L c° Sir s , Sir W. W. Wynn, Lord Plymouth, Mr. .Veeemantke, Liddell, Lord Normanhy,&c. Sec.—A. vote of than g ; f ie,/ passed to the Earl of Aileshurv.—(Noritri,g Cl‘r" .••••MIO.CACiL,.. NO 'POO • ; LONDON: Printed b y .1. 11. GAItJfA of 'bv " Ormond -street, Qtreeo-siluare; and published T O vt SCRIPPS, of No. 7, `youth Molton-strcet, a t . Of ()dice, No. .119, Strand..;whete Adecoisernero' Letters, ice, (post-yaid most be a;laresscd. tt,„ , 4 44, ` 4 r 4( ti 1 '° t 1 stn 4418 ti t tic. , pip , 11 L111VC:'411 b gl i) 'll 1 11 , 4 • 1 4 A 9 g , ft t 411 *: . 44 4ttiCi ' t.ll 1.1 J a nd , at atir Nth II" ' e Press t 6 s, =, t t l ie N et % -10 . `Lid Isrp , 4 a ) A Nit% 'in e q . 04 4 'I , Sop Willl.l 4 L 1 zy